La Liga to broadcast second tier games on Youtube

Jan 10 (Reuters) - Matches from the second tier of Spanish football, known as La Liga 123, are to be broadcast on Youtube with English commentary in a bid to boost the division's international appeal, the league's organising body has announced.

The broadcasts, which begin on Friday with Cadiz's game against Granada, will be available in Africa, Asia, the Americas and the rest of Europe but not in Spain, where they will continue to be shown on national television.

"These broadcasts will lead to an increase in the coverage of Spanish football around the world and allow thousands of supporters of Spanish football the opportunity to be able to follow their favourite teams," said a statement from La Liga.

The announcement follows a deal La Liga made with Facebook at the start of this season to show every game in the Spanish top flight free of charge in the Indian sub continent.

"The way we consume live sport is changing and is moving towards a new generation of online channels," added the organisations head of audiovisuals Melcior Soler.

"At La Liga we are committed to using these channels to broaden the appeal of our competitions. The move to show La Liga 123 on Youtube will strengthen the competition, bringing it close to a new audience and in a format which we believe will be very attractive for spectators." (Reporting by Richard Martin, editing by Nick Mulvenney)